Congress OKs bill to keep government agencies open

WASHINGTON - Congress voted Friday to send President Bush the latest in a string of bills that have kept the government operating while lawmakers struggle through their year-end spending work.

The bill - the third this fall - will keep federal agencies open through Nov. 21. By that time, congressional leaders hope all 13 annual spending bills will be finished and Congress can adjourn for the year.

The Senate approved the latest temporary bill by voice vote Friday and shipped it to the White House. The House had passed the legislation Wednesday by 418-5.

The government's new budget year began Oct. 1. So far, Congress has completed only four of the 13 annual bills. A fifth, a $9.3 billion measure financing military construction projects, has cleared the House but not the Senate.

The eight other bills cover the budgets of the departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and nine other Cabinet-level departments, plus dozens of other agencies.

Meanwhile, the bipartisan cooperation needed to complete the spending bills has been undermined by a Senate fight over some of Bush's judicial nominations.

The Senate's majority Republicans say that amid the rush toward adjournment, they will spend 30 hours next week discussing Democratic filibusters - or procedural delays - against four of Bush's nominees.

Democratic leaders said Friday they will insist time also be set aside to debate what they call a higher priority - finding ways to restore the roughly 3 million private sector jobs lost since Bush took office.